The Concept What is Community Solar Community solar is a - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Concept

What is Community Solar

Community solar is a centrally-located, shared renewable energy arrangement that provides electricity to participating subscribers. It allows several members the

• pportunity to share the benefits of a

local renewable energy power plant.

How it Works

grid through nearby substation. Participating members receive their bill with their solar credit subtracted from the energy usage on their PEC meter.

PEC Interest in Community Solar

Growing member interest in solar

• Concern for environment
• Federal and State mandates and subsidies
• Decreasing costs for solar

Provides an innovative energy solution at a fair and reasonable price Engages members with a product that meets their needs and interests Concern over 3rd party competition

• ‘No money down’ sales pitch
• Unrealistic payback claims

Member Interest in Community Solar

 Concern for environment  Hedge against future energy prices  Allows members the opportunity to utilize solar energy

• Only ~20% of sites are suitable for solar installation

 More affordable than owning their own system

• Economies of scale lead to lower per-watt costs for participants
• Flexible sizing to fit any budget
• No need to upgrade structures to accommodate personal array

Single one-time price, no additional fees

• Construction, maintenance and insurance costs
• If member moves, the panel(s) can be transferred to another member

 No maintenance – maintained by professionals

Community Solar Program Comparison

Utility A

Utility B Utility C People’s

Size of System 42 kW 39 kW 245 kW 250 kW # panels/units 140 panels 96 panels 792 panels 820 panels Size of panel/unit 410 watts 410 watts 310 watts 305 watts Cost per installed watt $2.82 $3.66 ~$3.00 $2.23 Annual panel/unit

• utput

480 kWh 588 kWh 425 kWh 412 kWh Payback 18 years 18.5 years 15 years 14 years Years of Contract 25 20 17 20 Member cost per panel/unit $1,250 $1,500 $950 $750

The Array

People’s Community Solar

Owner

• People’s Energy Cooperative

Project Facilitator

• National Renewables Cooperative

Organization (NRCO)

Contractor

• Able Energy Co., River Falls, WI

Manufacturer

• Canadian Solar, Ontario, Canada

People’s Community Solar

Site Location – Elgin Business Park

372’ x 280’ / 2.39 Acres

Hwy 42 Cty Rd 73

People’s Community Solar

 250 kW Array

• 820 panels
• 305 watts per panel
• 412 kWhs output per panel / year (est.)

The Program

People’s Community Solar

Subscription price = $750 per 305-watt panel.

• Includes all costs to build, operate, maintain and

insure the system.

• Two payment plan options
• Lump sum due when signing agreement
• $25/month for 30 months (will appear as a bill charge)

Energy produced will be credited to members on their monthly electric bill.

Example of Bill Credit

SINGLE PHASE GENERAL SERVICE METER PCS12345 BASIC SERVICE CHARGE (MAIN) 37.00 ENERGY CHARGE 950 KWH @ $.111270 107.07 COMMUNITY SOLAR CREDIT 875 KWH @ -$.111270 97.36 CR TOTAL ELECTRIC CHARGES 46.71 MINNESOTA SALES TAX 3.12 OLMSTED COUNTY SALES TAX .18 ROUNDUP .99 CURRENT CHARGES 51.00

People’s Community Solar

 Energy production will be viewable through a web portal from our website.

20 Year Agreement Term

 Begins with in-service date of all

panels

• All agreements end 20 years from in-service

date (if you buy 3 years after in-service date, agreement would be prorated for 17 years)

14-year payback based on:

Avg monthly usage of 900 kWhs

• 10,800 kWhs per year
• 1% annual member usage escalator

Avg Retail Rate per kWh = $0.115

• 1.5% annual rate escalator

People’s Community Solar

 Subscribe to 26, 305-watt panels (8kW)

• 10,800 kWhs / 412 kWhs unit = 26 panels
• $750 x 26 = $19,500
• Includes annual insurance, maintenance and repairs
• No tax credit to participants

 Build an 8 kW array on your own

• $3.25 per watt x 8 kW= $26,000
• Dependent on installation method
• Does not include annual insurance
• May not include maintenance or repair costs
• 30% tax credit for the first year - expires Dec 2016

Solar Comparison for 8kW

Note: 10,800 kWh’s is the average annual energy use by a residential member. 412 kWh’s is the average annual output per panel over 20 years.

The Agreement

Key Points of Agreement

 Must be an active PEC member in good standing with a metered account.  Subscription is for the energy output, you are not purchasing panels.  There is a limit to the number of panels you can subscribe to based on historic usage.  The energy produced will be divided equally among subscribers each month.

Key Points of Agreement Cont’d.

Excess energy production will roll over to the next month with no expiration.

• The Cooperative will not payout cash for any

unused credits.

Insurance does not cover energy lost due to extraordinary events. Subscription can only be transferred/sold to

• ther PEC members.

At the end of the 20-year term the energy production becomes the Cooperative’s.